Crocheted Edge Fleece Baby Blanket

These little fleece blankets have become one of my all-time favorite new-baby gifts. They are so soft and the fleece fabric comes in a bajillion different color and print combos, for endless possibilities. I made this white one with a neutral khaki edge for a baby whose sex will be a surprise.

There are several options for applying the base row of crochet to the fleece, but I like to use a yarn darning needle and the blanket stitch for my foundation row. I have tried the hole-punch method, whereby you pierce a hole into the fabric and then insert the crochet hook and make a single crochet, but I found that to be a bit too labor intensive…so I just thread the yarn needle and start the blanket stitch. I don’t measure the placement of each stitch…I just eyeball it (but you probably already knew that by looking closely!)

I cut the fleece to a 42″ square and rounded the corners by tracing the edge of a small, round plate onto the corners and cutting along the curved line. Then, I just threaded the yarn through a sharp yarn needle and began the blanket stitch.

The first row after the foundation was a single crochet in each blanket stitch. Next row, just a simple picot edge: chain 3, double crochet in first chain, slip stitch into next stitch. Repeat around. The yarn is Nashua Natural Focus Ecologie Cotton ( a dk weight) that I had in my stash for way too long. So long that I’m not sure that it is still available. Any dk weight yarn…cotton, wool, acrylic, etc. would work out fine…just make sure it’s washable!

You could easily make up your own edge pattern, or check out Pinterest and Ravelry for many inspiring ideas. I love this edge thing and, coming soon…pretty-edged pillowcases!

I loved this idea so much, I went to Hobby Lobby this weekend & bought the necessary materials. I also invested in a “skip-stitch” blade to make cutting the fleece super easy. I went to http://www.skipstitch.com and ordered the basic skip-stitch rotary blade. Totally worth it for $13, especially since I have at least three blankets to make! I’ll let you know how it works. XOXO

This was the best purchase I’ve made. Bought the blade online last year and have since used it 3 times. Its already paid for itself.
Just don’t go over the holes twice. Once is enough ~! otherwise you’ll have a hole thats a little ugly in the blanket.

Hi Michele,
The “blanket stitch” is the foundation (base) row on this blanket. It is hand-sewn with a yarn needle threaded with the yarn used for the border, and the horizontal spaces that this stitch creates is where I secure my first round of crochet. I found this tutorial that I think will be most helpful to you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXkSE2TTF4s

It’s a relatively easy stitch to create and, with little practice, you’ll do it in no-time! Good luck –
Ann

Thanks so much for the great idea. I had originally thought to do the blanket stitch around, but was having a hard time “hiding” where I ran out of yarn and needed to begin with another strand. With the first round of crocheting single crochets around, into the blanket stitches, they will be hidden and secured. And the bit of extra weight the edging puts to the blanket really makes it lie nicer, as fleece is so light. I am working on one right now and know I want to do more. Brenda

Oh….I ran into that same problem! I tried to work with impossible lengths of yarn to avoid having to join the new strand. But that first round of single crochet did hide the messy joins and provided a nice foundation row for any decorative stitches. I haven’t bought the “skip stitch” blade yet, so blanket stitch is my go-to alternative. Glad you found this helpful, and thanks for sharing your success!
Ann

I just bought 1.5 yds. of adorable fleece in a robot motif. I’m going to cut one yard of it, as you suggested, to see if I can get two blankets. Then, I’ll use the extra half yard to make accessories. (TWO gifts!!) Thanks for sharing!

I’ve never done the crocheted edge on a two-sided blanket. The skip-stitch blade is sharp, and it easily pierces a single layer of fleece, but I’m not sure how it would handle two layers of fabric. The makers of the skip-stitch blade may be able to tell you for sure. Click here for their “contact” page. I hope it works out for you!
Ann

I used dk weight yarn for each of these blankets. For the white one, I used Nashua Natural Focus Ecologie cotton, for the sailboats, Lion Brand cupcake yarn, and for the lime green border I used Deborah Norville Serenity (available at JoAnn’s).

So glad you love this idea! I agree that it’s a great way to give something special without devoting many, many hours to a full-size crocheted blanket. There are SO many adorable fleece prints available, and lots of colorful yarn choices too. Thanks for the comment, and hope you give it a try ;-)

Hello, Michelle –
I cut the fleece approximately 36″ x 36″, and then I round the corners by tracing the edge of a small round plate onto the fabric. As much as I was okay with using the blanket stitch, you really can’t beat that skip-stitch blade. I had to work slowly to get used to cutting with the blade, but it saves a tremendous amount of time and energy. If you’re considering the purchase, I say go ;-)

I love this and especially the pillow cases that you have done..can you tell me how you did this on the pillow cases? What material was the pillow cases? What yarn? Etc …and I love the patterns! Thank you so much for sharing your talent!!

Hi Gloria,
Thanks for your lovely compliments! The pillow cases were 100% cotton, and I shared three different techniques for attaching crochet along the edge here: http://bigalittlea.com/2013/05/30/crocheted-edge-pillowcases/. My favorite was the back-stitch, and I included some photos to help explain how it is done. I used a sport-weight cotton, mostly because I was wasn’t feeling particularly patient enough to use fine gauge (size 10) crochet thread ;-) Although crochet threads produce a much finer edging, I was totally satisfied with the sport-weight. Hope this helps, and I hope you’ll give it a try. They make really special gifts!!
Ann

The borders you added are so tremendously adorable! I was hoping to know what pattern you used for the crochet? I have a couple of fleece blankets for the children of my friends that I was hoping to give as Christmas gifts. Ps. Fleece will be on sale the Saturday after Thanksgiving at JoAnn’s for 70% off! Time to stock up!

Thanks so much for your compliment! The edging pattern for the white fleece blanket is described in the post…a single crochet foundation row, and then a simple picot edge. The patterns for the other edgings are in a book called Baby’s Choice Crochet Edgings for Fleece (Leisure Arts #3485). I got my copy at JoAnn’s and I believe it may still be available on Amazon. Thanks for the heads-up on the big fleece sale at JoAnn’s!! At that price, it IS the perfect time to stock up!

Hi! We're Ann and Alyssa, a mother and a daughter who have shared a passion for making things since way back when this picture was taken. We have better tools now, and 'little a' grew a little taller, but we still love to gather around the kitchen table and make things for our family and friends to enjoy. Thanks for coming by!